Britain is braced for more bad weather as forecasters warned of more storms to come.

High winds and huge waves left thousands of people without power and transport in chaos.

Powerful waves hit the coast of Cornwall, breaching harbour walls, flipping boats and leaving villages under several feet of water.

A buoy close to Penzance recorded a wave of 22m (75ft), which could be the biggest recorded off the British Isles. Experts from the National Oceanography Centre were trying to verify the data last night.

A large section of Brighton’s dilapidated West Pier broke off after storms lashed the coast (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

And there was further damage to one of Britain’s most recognisable seaside piers as a section of the 148-year-old Grade-I listed West Pier in Brighton broke off into the sea.

The Environment Agency had nine severe flood warnings in place last night, meaning a ‘danger to life’ exists. They cover much of the south coast of England from Cornwall to Dorset.

On the Somerset Levels, which has been badly affected by flooding since Christmas, police said the occupants of more than 150 properties were being advised to leave their homes.

Police used a Tannoy fitted to a helicopter to shout down to hundreds of people in Northmoor, Saltmoor and Fordgate. Bryony Sadler, who lives in Moorland, said: ‘We are just trying to get out because there is going to be nothing left, absolutely nothing.’

Ditch stop: A car slips into the river at Portmellon as a storm hits the south coast in Cornwall (Picture: SWNS)

The Environment Agency’s John Rowlands said: ‘It really is pretty desperate. We cannot stress highly enough that this is a risk to life and property and people really should start to take action if they haven’t already.’

Western Power Distribution said 44,000 customers in the south west had been affected by power cuts. About 9,500 homes remained without power after winds of up to 80mph caused debris to fly into overhead lines.

Gusts of up to 92mph were recorded on the Isles of Scilly while Devon and Cornwall police took 300 emergency calls overnight.

Waves crash against the seafront and the railway line at Dawlish (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Today, low pressure will move up from the Bay of Biscay bringing a ‘very wet night’ across England and Wales, forecasters at The Weather Channel said.

Up to 30mm of rainfall is likely with winds of between 60 and 70mph expected to batter the country.

Saturday will be ‘very stormy with squally showers and gales’, said The Weather Channel’s forecaster Leon Brown, with ‘severe gales’ of up to 80mph again hitting the south west.

Railway workers inspect the railway line at Dawlish after part of it was washed away by the sea (Picture: Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Rail line dangling over sea

A collapsed sea wall left rail track dangling in the air and paralysed train services in the south-west.

Storms and a high tide also caused 30 homes to be evacuated in Dawlish, Devon.

The damage to the track saw trains suspended between London’s Paddington station, Exeter and Cornwall.

Network Rail said the line could be out of action for weeks.

Police declared Dawlish a ‘major incident’ and the county council set up an emergency rest centre. Beach huts in the town, that once stood on the sea wall, were also destroyed.

This service is definitely suspended: The rail line dangles over the missing chunk of sea wall which was battered by rough seas and high winds in Dawlish, Devon (Picture: APEX)